Hilachas is the Spanish word for those little loose threads that fall all over the floor and sewing area as you finish sewing and snip the tail end of the thread off the sewn area. So does this blog entail the odds and ends of topics of interest, leaving more loose threads to ponder...

Monday, March 28, 2011

“Block Lotto” I won.

Encouraging words of the day:

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.Psalm 118:24, NLT

I told you about the “Block Lotto” I won.When we got home from our trip all my "Heart Blocks" had arrived. My post office box was overflowing! I now have my 48 blocks and am so excited trying to figure out how I'm going to sew my quilt top together. Here’s a photo of the blocks I received.Anyone have any suggestions for sewing these together into something beautiful?Should I put them side by side or turn them every which way?Should I sew them to each other or add a strip between them?I’m so excited and happy!

By the way--You can’t sew without it, but when was the last time you gave thread a second thought?

Early sewing thread consisted of thin strips of animal hide but that would be somewhat difficult for us to use in our sewing machine today.Today thread is made in the following way according to Coats and Clark:

The process begins with giant bales of cotton or polyester.

The cotton or polyester bales are opened into tufts, blended with like fibers in a garden-shed-size machine, and rolled into sheets called laps.

Individual fibers are separated, straightened, cleaned, and brought together into fluffy ropes called slivers.The slivers are coiled in giant bins. They are still 200 to 600 times thicker than finished thread.

Both cotton and polyester slivers undergo a drawing process to ensure fibers are uniform and parallel to each other. At this point slivers are reduced in thickness and given a slight twist in order to hold the weakened fibers together for spinning. These finer slivers are called rovings.

Next a series of rollers spins the rovings into yarns that are the necessary weight and thickness for the type of thread being produced.A twist applied in a left direction gives the fibers strength and flexibility.

After the thread is dyed, it is transported to the finishing plant.A lubricant formulated specifically for the thread’s final purpose is applied next. It gives the thread a finish that allows it to slide easily through a machine or a needle’s head.Thread is transferred to retail-size spools by spooling machines. Wow! I'm glad we don't have to do that for ourselves.

Back to my sewing:

Here’s a picture of the hotpad I made for my swap person.I really liked it and I hope the person I send it to tomorrow enjoys it.

I told you before that I’m working on my niece’s prom dress.It is all “sequiny” and itchy around the neck so I fixed the neck area. I couldn’t find fabric to match the color of the belt that came with the dress, close but not exact, so I added new straps and a belt.